Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-28
THE STRIKE GRAND R1zzLE.

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 EAu the Men ordered Back Pending | Arbitration-The Company Firm and E the Strikers Lose Heart-The Men Rushing HeIter Skelter to Get Back | to Their Places.
 | READING, Dec. 27.-Early this morning the Knights of Labor authorities in Philadelphia sent out word to all Reading railroad sm- ployes to resume work as usual, as the strike had been called off pending arbitration. The employees here refused to sanction the strike and sent down Messrs. Hawman, Kirn and Miller as committee at p. n. yesterday, with instructions that all resources to secure settlement had not been exhausted. When Superintendent Sweigard heard of this action
 he promptly agreed to meet 8 committee. of the men from Port Richmond. The confer- ence lasted until a. m. in the main office Of
 the company, and the result was a decision that the men should be ordered back to work at once this morning, but that all employees who were discharged for disobedience of or ders should not be taken back until their cases had been fully arbitrated The order was flashed over the wires at a. m. and this morning was obeyed. There was a lack of spontaneity in the return to work of the employees at the wharves of Port Richmond this morning. This was not due to an unwillingness on the part of the men. but delay in the circulation of the gen. eral order to return coupled with the tact that the disaffected were rather late in put ting in an appearance at their usual points of rendezvous. However, suffieiens men re sponded at an early honr to handle what little coal there was on the tracks and more too, for many had to be put to work at odd jobs until some of the side-tracked fuel came down the road. Superintendent J. O. Keim was at his post of duty at an early hour. He received the men pleasantly as they putin an appearance. As a general rule the men would express satisfaction at the happy prospects of an amicable adjustment
 few, however, after reaching the wharves
 and finding that the non-union men who had been employed in their absence were there at work turned about and walked off.
 One of the first men to greet Superinten-
 dent Keim this morning was Councilman
 John Kelley, chairman ot the arbitration committee of the employees convention, who
 occupies the position of foreman of pier No. 19. He reported early in order to explain to his men the exact condition of affairs, he feared that in the presence of the non-union men there would be hesitancy on their part
 to resume. He was anxious that the em-
 ploYes should be as prompt in obeying the
 order of resumption as they were that of quit
 ting work. His presence was needed, for
 late in the morning incident occurred
 which came near causing all the men at work to leave the wharves. During the night two
 colliers, the Pottsville and Rattlesnake, steam
 ed up to their piers and their crews, who are
 also members of the River Front assembly,
 K. of L., were in total ignorance of the situ-
 ation surrounding them. When they arose this
 morning and learned the cause of the idleness lin the scenes that are wont to be so busy all hands, fourteen in Der, refused to obey orders and were promptly discharged. This gpai mia aintA A6 hv he Kni0
 at work and considerable explanation was re-
 quired to straighten matters out. In the
 meantime the discharged crews will remain
 idle.
 Sc promptly were the coal cars taken on to
 Port Richmond and unloaded that tonight
 the first empty coal trains passed through
 Reading bound for the coal regions. The
 most exciting scenes of the strike were wits
 messed this afternoon when about twenty-five old brotherhood engineers who were obliged
 to leave the company's employ in 1877 were given engines and permanent positions.
 They took the places of engineers
 who either failed to report because
 they live too far away or had re- fused to take out engines and were
 peremptorily discharged. All the old broth
 erhood engineers have been assured of per
 manent situations. Every man who had
 during the past week refused to obey orders or who had left his post because of the
 Knights of Labor orders was refused employ
 ment. There were quite large number of
 these and some of the appeals made o.get
 work were pitiful. Non-union men ready to
 take strikers places filled Reading to-day from neighboring towns by the hundreds.
 PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 27.-A special from
 Reading says: The strike has developed the
 existence of an unpleasant sentiment between
 the K. of L. and Brotherhood of Locomotive
 Engineers. The latter, it is reliably stated,
 offered to furnish all the men that might be
 nI-
 gineers in this city and viein-
 ity, all brotherhood men, who were
 discharged by the former president
 of the Reading road, Franklin B. Gowan.
 Their places were taken by non-union men
 who now belong to the K. of l.. The latter
 were then known as ''scabs'' and for long
 time there was bitter feeling in the com
 munity against them, especially as the riots
 during the strike of 1877 in this city resulted
 in an attack by the Fourth regiment, NC F.,
 in which about dozen men were killed and
 about seventy-fve or eighty wounded. The families which suffered and their sympathiz-
 CTS have never forgiven the men who took the places of the brotherhood engineers. All the engineers employed on the Reading prior to the trouble of 1877 are being heard from. They desire to return to their first love and are anxious for sweet revenge.
 The following circular was issued from the
 general office of the Reading company this afternoon:
 PHILADELPHIA, Dec 2. A. A. Mcleod, Esq, general manager:
 Dear Sir-The strike ordered from Port Richmond has developed the fact that many of old and faithful employees have been compelled by others to join the organization known as the Knights of of Labor. While the Reading railroad company has objected to it's employees voluntarily con meeting themselves with any labor organization
 hazard and at. any cost from being forced would be to remain free. and employees of this company of the Coal and Iron company guilty of using any undue or improper influence upon any of our men to force them to join any
 society against their free will will upon proof fur
 nished be instantly dismissed from our service
 and never allowed to return to it; and any employe
 furnishing such information will be fully protected
 from any harm by reason thereof Please give this notice to the general superintendent with erders that repeated the heads of every department | nornIar